The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-10-10
TARGET PRACTICE.
Three Shots Fired at a Negro on
Badden Avenue.
Determined Efforts 20 shroud the
Occurrepce in Mystery-
Honest witnesses.

best behavior, and as the reporters
of the APPEAL filed into the Office and
slsn'f ,antly asked each other "What
have you go,?' aud received the dis.
conlate answer "nothing," the outlook
for o startling head line was extreme
ly gloomy, and each fellow settled
down to routine matter. Bat II there
ia any news the APPEAL gets
it. To scoop" it's competitions is so
frequent an occurrence that the usual
congratulations to t Q ~"scooper" have
grown monotonous and ceased to
be pstssd around. Notwiths,and.
ing the unftuitiul outlook at the be-
ginning OF the evening, 1t was
destined to charge, for about 8 O'Clock
the three step strides OF some n as.
cendipg the stairway caused everyone
to turn suddenly around in his chair,
and as the city editor faced the door,
q lad rushed in, painting for breath,
add sxcitedly taid:
"Misler, one man shot another one
Just now at Causey ard Linden
streets"
what is his name, and why did he
do IT," ives the quick inquiry.
"You 90 and see for yourself" said
the welcome visitor, as he hastily
wheel, d around and hurried down the
st-ir say rs fast as he had came mp.
Ii took but a few minutes TO reach
the scene OF the reputed shooting.
There the reporter found gathered
100 or more colored people, and q
dozen or two whites, mostly boye,
who we're d ifcustipg the affair; but, as
one group after the other was sp.
preached, they seemed TO be IN totA!
ignorance OF The real tscls. Some OF
tnem had just gotten there, others
were returning from church and
s,opped to ete what the gathering
meant. Presently a s~waggering young
white fellow, who seemed TO be filled
with 3 cent whitky, declared, In a
voice to be heard by all:"Don'l tell that
fel ow anything, Tor he Is an APrRAL
reporter, and he'll give the snap away"
The gang seemed to take the cue
readily, aud for q half hour or more
The efforts to ascertain the parties TO
the affair were i%ruitless. Finally an
on old negro man was approached,
who said that he had seen the shoot.
ing, but did not know the names oil
the parties. he kindly walked over
on tue opposite corner with the re.
porter TO where another cOlored friend
stood, who he said could tell more
about Il. His friend seemed 10 be the
knowing man. He ta'd that, "the
man vino done the shooting was Mr..
John P~oston, and the man ihot at was
J,i F,Tguson, q colored man." The
difficulty, as he undertood II, arose
In tLis way:
"M.. Poston had driven downto 9
house on Desoto street, and had hirt q
Ferguson 10 hold his horse, glviRl
him 5 cents for the tervice. Ferguson
presuming that PJetoB would remain
in the house for some time, concluded
that he would exercise the horse ID
the mssntime to his Own p~lessure
He drove up ,Csutey 10 Linden, snC
out that ~thoroughfare, bat he droy,
too far, for Mr.. Poeton came out f0i
his re and found II missing. II,
walked up 10 Linden, mt ut the cor
ner Of tbat and Cautey asked severn
ptrsons n they had seen n negro pas
IN q buggy. He was answered In the
aHtna i've, and proceeded out Oausry
Ia search of bis vehic .. H.
had not gone far, when lookinI
back, ne saw Ferguson coming dosn
Linden street at a rapid gate win The
horse aud buggy. About thie tim,
the dummy Car came rushiog anc
puff X along. Ferguson attemp'et
to turn the Morse Into Cansey alesf
Of the car, bu was not qliek e0ough
and the dummy engine struck q o.
the rear wnsels, knocking the bnggJ
over and smashing II. Feiau 'oi
rolled out on the ground and tue hors'
kicked cut Of the harness, alter drag
ttug tina broken buggy several ysrdc
ana wont tearing ont Causey street
po,.,l . mp the c Iilisiun bap
o. d, s4o r. -gusin pulleC
m tu.tu and looked
.iuuud ~ . Sfecs PJston was " %
isl upon him. lie started to run
bat Pp ion d m,nded him 10 stop
Ferguson feared the cont auenc.l
aad ioGk 10 bic heels, leaving hts Goa
and bat. Az he did 81, = Jston pnlle,
pistol and frtd. How he mlsse'
him, II he resuy did o., 10 wonder
frr he was within q lew feet OF lin
Ferguson never stopped, but rau int
y yErd sbout twenty yards from IN,
corner. Polton cert inly meant q
Kill Tim, Tor he hted At leas' thre,
shoe, aud / ihink four. Where Fer
gusoi went | don's know, but he ksp
on runuirr Mr.. 7 sol turned sioun,
and went away sitter tie buggy.
A young white man, vuo also saw
the occur ence, said be knew the maj
who I'D the shOolirg was Mr. JONI
7 sion, and the negro shot ~ "a
Jrfi FsfRaeon. or, a. hs h f.mlliar.
kLow = Biz Jen." Tue sccd ht dit
not felard the sped Of the dummy
and ~ 40 one kneF Ihs number Of
20 iri rpa ion could he denv-d ifou
the e.giEssf or conductor, and th
IA a. gers lad zen uulladed an'
gone b,io'e tbs ~ porter kneg OF H.
+ ere we're quite q number u PEI
p's taying along TIE ttuet a a..
ums, a a Why some tfthem we're nc
nit With a stra~ ballet Ia miraculou,
T.sts Sas no 70 Ice tfle-r on IA